Little Bird
by 13teen
Summary: "You dare to discriminate against me and an entire race on the actions of a single being?" Thorin/OC
1. Chapter One: Talk That Talk

**_Hello lovely little people who have taken the time to read this! I thank you so much!  
_**_**Anyway, I have replaced the first chapter with this one as I have gone over it and fix some spelling and grammar errors that I have found and other's have pointed out (Thank you!).  
**__**I'd like to thank; **InkedCupcake92,Belabsouza,IWantEverythingandNothing,VampWolf92, and Lady Lengend-Maker.  
**Your reviews made me extremely happy!**_

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_**Chapter One**_

_"Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life."  
- Bob Marley._

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**Chapter Quote:**** "Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move off."**_  
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After consuming a big breakfast, Bilbo Baggins stood at his door smoking on an enormous long wooden pipe that reached nearly down to his woolly toes, minding his own business when an old man with a staff approached him, who in fact was The Gandalf, but of course Bilbo had no clue. He had a tall pointed grey hat, a long grey cloak, a silver scarf over which his long white beard hung down below his waist, and immense black boots.

"Good morning!" Said Bilbo cheerfully upon seeing the old man, meaning what he said. But Gandalf merely looked at him from under his long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further that the brim of his shady hat.

"What do you mean?" He asked. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a good morning to be good on?"

"All of them at once," said Bilbo while looking at the old man strangely. "And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain. If you have a pipe about you, sit down and have a fill of mine! There's no hurry we have all day before us." The Bilbo sat down on a seat by his door, crossed his legs, and blew out a beautiful ring of smoke that sailed up into the air without breaking and floated away over The Hill.

"Very pretty!" Said Gandalf. "But I have no time to blow smoke-rings this morning. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it's very difficult to find anyone."

"I should think so – in these parts!" Bilbo chuckled. "We are plain quiet folk and I have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner, they do! I can't think what anybody sees in them," Said Bilbo, and stuck one thumb behind his braces, and blew out another even bigger smoke-ring. Then he took out his morning letters, and began to read, pretending to take no more notice of the old man before him.

Bilbo decided that he was not quite his sort, and desperately wanted him to go away, but the old man did not make a move, he just continued to stand there, leaning on his stick and gazing at the hobbit without saying anything. Well that was until Bilbo got quite uncomfortable and annoyed.

"Good morning! We don't want any adventures here, thank you! You might try over The Hill or across The Water." Bilbo managed in one breath, clearly stating that this was the end of their ridiculous conversation.

"What a lot of thing you do use _Good morning_ for!" Said Gandalf, with a hint of a smile creeping up on his lips. "Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move off."

"Not at all, not at all, my dear sir! Let me see, I don't think I know your name?" Bilbo rushed out, not wanting to come across as rude.

"Well I do know your name, Mr Bilbo Baggins. And you do know my name, though you don't remember that I belong to it. I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me! To think that I should have lived to be good morninged by Belladonna Tooks son, as if I was selling button at the door!"

"G-Gandalf, Gandalf! Good gracious me! Not the wandering wizard the used to make such particularly excellent fireworks! I remember those! Old Took used to have them on midsummer's eve. Splendid! They used to go up like great lilies and snapdragons and laburnums of fire and hang in the twilight all evening!"

"I am pleased to find that you still remember me something about me. Indeed your old grandfather Took's sake, and for the sake of poor Belladonn, I will give you what you asked for."

"I beg your pardon, I haven't asked for anything!"

"Yes, you have. Twice now. My pardon. I give it to you. In fact I will go so far to send you to this adventure. Very amusing for me, very good for you – and profitable too, very likely, if you ever get over it." Gandalf rambled, knowing that the little hobbit hadn't the faintest idea what was happening.

"Sorry! I don't want adventures, thank you. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever! Good morning! But please some for tea – any time you like! Goodbye!" With that the hobbit turned and scuttled inside his round green door, and shut it firmly behind him.

"What on earth did I ask him to _tea_ for?" Bilbo scolded himself as he went to the pantry looking for something to eat to take the fright away.

Gandalf in the meantime was still standing outside the door laughing long and quietly. After a while he stepped up and with the spike of his staff scratched in a queer sign on Bilbo's beautiful green front-door, and strode away.

Hours later Bilbo had completely forgotten his encounter with the old wizard and went about his day like he normally would. Around tea time he had sat himself down and was just about to tuck into his dinner, when the doorbell rang. With a heavy sigh, and not wanting his food to get cold, he rushed over to the door and pulled it open.

There, standing before him was in fact a dwarf with a blue beard and the top of his head bald. The dwarf pushed Bilbo aside and marched in, as if he were expected, and casually hung up his dark green cloak.

"Dwalin at your service!" He said in a deep voice while bowing lowly.

"Bilbo Baggins at yours!" Said the hobbit, upon realising what he said, he clamped his mouth shut and stared wide eyed as the dwarf marched about, and finally placed himself in Bilbo's seat and consuming his food. He was too astounded to ask the dwarf as to what in God's name was he doing in hi house and eating his food!

Just as the hobbit was about to speak the bell rang once more. Upon opening the door, Bilbo found an old dwarf on the step with a white beard and a scarlet hood; he too hopped inside as soon as the door was open, just as if he were invited.

"I see they have begun to arrive already," The dwarf said when he caught sight of Dawlin's green hood. He hung his red one next to it and with a deep bow, and fist against his chest, "Balin at your service!"

"Thank you!" Bilbo squeaked. It wasn't the right thing to say, but what the dwarf had said had Bilbo immensely flustered. Don't get him wrong, Bilbo liked having visitors, but he liked to know them before they arrived, and he preferred to ask them himself!

Bilbo gave up and started to make his way to his pantry to fetch some more food for his uninvited guests. He was halfway down the hall when the doorbell rang yet again. Muttering under his breath he walked up to it and opened it up to find two dwarfs, looking very similar to each other aside from the fact that one had blond hair and beard, with the other having brown hair and not much of a beard.

"What can I do for you dwarfs?" Bilbo said rather sarcastically.

"Fili," The blond spoke first.

"And Kili,"

"At your service!" They said in unison.

"Dwalin and Balin are already here I see." Fili said as he took off his dark blue cloak and tossing it to Bilbo, while his brother, Kili, did the same. Bilbo silently fumed as he hung them up.

_Ding-ding-dong!_

"Someone at the door!" Shouted both Fili and Kili from their seats.

Bilbo had just sat down and placed his head in his hand when Fili and Kili had shouted, and was now making his way to the door once again. Bilbo had hardly turned the knob, before they were all inside, bowing and saying "at your service" one after the other.

Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, and Gloin were their names; and very soon two purple hoods, a grey hood, a brown hood, and an off white hood were hanging on the pegs, and off they marched with their broad hands stuffed in their pockets, and wandered off to join the others.

Some called Bilbo for ale, and some for porter, and one for coffee, and all of them for cakes; so the hobbit was kept very busy for a while.

A big jug of coffee had just been set in the hearth, the seed-cakes were gone, and the dwarfs were starting on a round of buttered scones, when there came – a loud knock on the door. Not a ring, no, it was a knock. Somebody was banging on his freshly painted door with a stick!

This time, frustrated as ever, Bilbo marched along the passage, very angry, and stormed up to his door while muttering things about not wanting anymore dwarfs in his clean home and that no more would be welcome. He pulled open the door with a jerk, and they all fell in, one on top of the other. More dwarfs, four more to be exact! And then there was Gandalf behind, leaning on his staff and laughing.

"It's not like you, Bilbo, to keep friends waiting on the mat, and then open the door like a pop-gun! Let me introduce Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and especially Thorin!"

"At your service!" Said Bifur, Bombur, and Bifur standing in a row. Then they hung up two yellow hoods and a pale green one; and also a black one with a long silver tassel. This last one belonged to Thorin, an enormously important dwarf, in fact Thorin Oakenshield himself, who was not at all pleased at falling flat on Bilbo's mat with Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur on top of him. For one thing Bombur was immensely fat and heavy. Thorin indeed was very haughty, and said nothing about _service._

Gandalf looked about the room and began to count the heads of every dwarf. "Only one more to go." He muttered before turning to Bilbo. "Bilbo, my dear boy, why not put on a pot of tea?"

"One more? Pray tell who the other is? And it better not be another hobbit." Thorin all but order the wizard, but Gandalf merely waved him off and sat with the dwarfs who had pulled a whole heap of tables and chairs to sit at.

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The hooded figure peered up at The Hill that a large perfectly circular door, painted green, was planted in the side of the hill, which one would know that it was obviously in fact a hobbit-hole and within said hobbit-hole held the home of the hobbit. The hobbit of which the figure was fond of, was considered very respectable by the people of The Shire, not only because the family of which this hobbit came from were rich, but because this family was known for not doing unexpected things. And this was the reason why this confused hooded being frowned; it did not comprehend why the old, yet friendly, wizard would seek out this particular hobbit.

Anyhoo, the figure was late, of course, and would most likely get scolded by the old wizard for it, but that didn't bother the petite stranger and therefore it continued up the path that had an assortment of flowers growing on either side of it, and towards the cosy looking home that held a great deal of beings within it for all the figure could hear were roars of laughter and loud bellowing.

Once in front of the circular door that had obviously been freshly painted, which also had the queer familiar symbol carved into the door. The figure knew that the hobbit would have an enormous fit once he found out about it.

A small hand with the skin of that similar to snow reached out from underneath the startling white elven made cloak and knocked upon the door, softly, but not unnoticeable. The figure waited a little impatiently, tapping its foot with arms crossed underneath the cloak as footsteps and banging was heard.

"And who might you be?" One of the thirteen dwarfs threw open the door and looked at the figure suspiciously as he could not see its face. He was a tall dwarf, almost a head taller than the small being that was shrouded in mystery. His blue beard was tucked within the gold coloured belt around his waist, and his bald head covered in swirling, sharp tattoos.

But before the figure could utter a word to the expecting dwarf, the old wizard rounded the corner and let a large grin adorn his face as he regarded the petite hooded being that stood in the door way.

"Ah, finally!" The old wizard bellowed; he was bent awkwardly as his body couldn't quite fit into the home. Though his voice was friendly his eyes clearly said that he wasn't impressed, but still glad to see that the being made it here safely. All the figure could do was shrug at the wizard and with a sigh Gandalf the Grey nodded to Dwalin to let the little hooded person inside, leading the way through the home and to the usually clean dining area that was now crowded with a hoard of dwarfs.

"I was wondering where you ran off to, my dear." Gandalf smiled brightly down at the figure as it let out a soft, bell like chuckle.

"Gentlemen, may I introduce you to the last member of our company, Bilbo's cousin, and a dear friend of mine, Ariella Lordessa Took." Gandalf called as they came to a stop in front of the dwarfs who were happily devouring the hobbits food and alcohol. Gandalf gestured towards the hooded figure who had finally revealed itself to be a petite young woman who had hidden beneath the pristine white cloak.

"Ari?" The sound of her cousin's voice brought her attention to the presence that had suddenly appeared behind her. As she turned, her plump blood kissed lips pulled back into a smile as she beamed at her slightly confused cousin. As soon as she laid eyes on Bilbo Baggins she pounced on him and pulled him towards her into a bone crashing hug that most likely knocked the air out of his lungs.

"Cannot . . . breath!" Bilbo managed to gasp out and greedily gulped in oxygen as she let him go.

"Whoopsie . . ." Ariella held her beloved cousin by the shoulders at arm's length and studied his features. He still had the same light brown shaggy hair and the cinnamon brown eyes that ran in the family. "Look at you! It has been five years and you still look the same as I left you!" She beamed at him.

"As do you cousin." Bilbo frowned as he gazed at his cousin. Ariella was still as bubbly and happy as ever. Her bright platinum blonde thick curly mass of hair was still untameable, yet perfectly curled, and was also exactly the same length as the last time he saw her; which just brushed against her backside. Her piercing electric blue eyes were wide and still full of the childhood innocence that she refused to give up. Bilbo was glad to see that she was well and unharmed, even though she would repeatedly tell him so in her letters, it was just more reassuring to have her standing in front of him and seeing with his own eyes that she was safe.

"Bilbo, did you notice that there is a carving on your door?" Ariella asked while she tilted her head to the side and watched as random emotions shifted across Bilbo's face.

"Mark? There is no mark upon that door! I just had it painted last week!" Bilbo half shouted-half squeaked.

"There is a mark, for I have put it there myself." Gandalf winked over at Ariella who tried not to laugh, but couldn't quite manage as a giggle had escaped through her lips.

But before Bilbo could speak, someone interrupted him with his deep voice.

"I could deal with a hobbit, but a woman?" A hot-headed looking dwarf stepped forward from the group of the brawny bunch with his thick muscled arms crossed and a stern look upon his face. Ariella had to admit he was handsome; in a roguish _'I'm going to kill you'_ kind of way. He was tall, even for a dwarf (he was sure to stand a head and a half over her), and had steel grey eyes that were currently staring her down as if judging her and giving her a low mark out of ten. His nose sharp and straight, unlike the most of the company around him, with his long dark chocolate hair and beard (though it was cut shorter than most) framing his face that held braids randomly throughout it; clasped with what looked like metal beads.

And then it hit her! The grumpy dwarf was in fact Thorin Oakenshield!

What a grumpy little man he was.

"Gandalf, please, may I now know what I am doing here? Your letter was extremely cryptic." Ariella completely ignored the dwarf and gave her undivided attention to the old wizard who led her towards the comfy looking chair beside him.

"You, my dear, are an exceptionally skilled warrior and huntress. Not to mention far too intelligent and wise beyond your years. This is why I have chosen you to aid Thorin on his journey." Ariella felt her cheeks burn red and looked over at the company of dwarfs who had returned to their seats. Gandalf had told her of Thorin and his company of dwarfs and somewhat of their journey, but he never mentioned that she would be going along with him, just that he might acquire her assistance . . . sneaky no good wizard. Though she could understand why they would need her. Yes, they would certainly need her help, she could just imagine them eating the wrong berries and slowly dying from the poisonous fruit.

"What are you?" The grumpy handsome dwarf that was Thorin asked her somewhat rudely, but she wouldn't expect any less from the grumpy little man. He stared down at her with the look of distrust clearly written on his face.

Ariella stared up at him with her wide clear blue eyes, "I am both elf and hobbit, is that a problem?" She tilted her head to the side while quirking her brow, obviously daring him to insult her.

"An elf?" Thorin scoffed, and had now turned on Gandalf and regarded the calm old wizard with a furious expression upon his face. The thought '_If looks could kill_' ran through Ariella's head as she watched the scene play out in interest.

"By half . . ." Gandalf trailed off and sipped from a goblet that was too small to hold even what was equivalent to a mouth full to him.

"We do not need nor want aid from any elves!" He fumed while slamming his goblet upon the nicely carved oak table as several of the dwarfs nodded in agreement.

"Well excuse me, mister high and mighty," Abruptly, Ariella stood up and glared up at the raging dwarf as she scolded him in her soft yet equally as threatening voice. "But while you are within my cousin's home you will treat his belongings with the utmost care otherwise I will throw you out myself. Understood, Mister Oakenshield?"

Oh yes, Ariella knew quite well who this short tempered dwarf was, he was in fact the future ruler of Erebor; Son of Thrain. But being that, it gave him absolutely no right to act this way while he has been given the luxuries from her dear cousin. She would happily smack the up side of his head should he do something disrespectful to Bilbo once more.

"I do not take orders from elves." Thorin said lowly, while his eyes glared down at the small being that held her head high and glared right back at the dwarf.

"You dare to discriminate against me and an entire race on the actions of a single being?" Ariella spoke calmly, she would not let this dwarf get underneath her skin, she refused to do so. Ariella also knew how the infamous dwarf felt about elves, rather irrational it was.

"Thorin, you asked me to find the fourteenth member for this expedition, but better yet I have found you a fifteenth member and I stand by my decision. Just let anyone say chose wrong, and you can stop at thirteen and have all the bad luck and have all you like, or go back to digging coal. You can take them or suffer the consequences."

Thorin said no more as he sat down and quietly mulled this over. Looking from all sides of the argument he realised that what Gandalf said was true. He would surely need the hobbit and half-breed at some point during this journey.

He gave a sharp nod to the wizard while finishing the rest of his mead. Though he didn't miss the small smile Gandalf threw the half-breeds way.

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_I love reviews! _

_-13teen xx_


	2. Chapter Two: Anything Could Happen

_**Hello lovely rea**__**ders who have just became my new best friends! I have another chapter for you all! Yay!  
**__**Anyway, I must in form you that this chapter is ruffly about the same length as the last, and I know that I had said that this chapter will be longer, but I felt that it had to end where it did.  
**__**I would like to thank all my reviewers, you gave me the inspiration to continue this story.**_

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_**Chapter Two**_

_"If there's a thing I've learned in my life it's to not be afraid of the responsibility that comes with caring for other people. What we do for love: those things endure. Even if the people you do them for don't."  
- Cassandra Clare._

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**Chapter Quote:**** "You'll regret this decision when your old and grey, and on your death bed."**

"The hobbit," Thorin stated as he looked Bilbo up and down from his seat at the head of the make-shift table beside Gandalf, who was beside Ariella. "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."

At that comment all the dwarfs began to laugh while Ariella silently fumed, and glared daggers at Thorin's smirking face. But just as she made to grab the dagger that was hidden inside her perfectly fitted leather boots, Gandalf raised his hand to stop her movement, which only made her curse in Elvish, and clasped her hands on her lap so she wouldn't be tempted.

"I have chosen Mr Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you." Gandalf said as he rose from his place beside Thorin, his voice booming around the room while his sorcery snuffed out any light in the room. "If I say he is a Burglar, a Burglar he is, or will be when the time comes. There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself!"

No body spoke as Gandalf looked everyone in the eye, daring them to say he was wrong, of course no one spoke a word, and so Gandalf nodded to himself and sat back down in his seat. "Bilbo, my boy, fetch a lamp."

Bilbo scuttled off as Gandalf pulled a piece of parchment out from inside his robes, and spread it out on the table as Bilbo came running back and placed a big lamp on the table with a red shade.

"This was made by Thror, your grandfather, Thorin," Gandalf said in answer to the dwarf's excited questions. "It is a plan of the Mountain."

"I don't see how this will help us much." Thorin said disappointedly after a glance at the map.

"What says Dain? Will he join us?" One of the dwarf's spoke up from the end of the table. He was old with greying hair and beard that were both cut short, and both braided with a great big nose right in between his eyes.

"Dain will not join us. He said that this is our quest and ours alone." Thorin managed to look even more disappointed than before.

"Quest? What quest?" Bilbo said from over Ariella's shoulder as he gazed down at the map in front of the three of them in complete an utter awe. (Ah, how Bilbo loved maps) Ariella let out a light laugh as she peered over her shoulder to find Bilbo starring at the map with wide eyes.

Ariella studied the map silently and took in the drawings of the Lonely Mountain, and the dragon circling above it, drawn in a bright red colour.

"Without Dain and his kin this will be an impossible task." Said Balin. "We are but a small group of thirteen, fifteen including Mr Baggins and Mistress Took." He paused. "We are not are not a gathering of the strongest, nor the wisest."

There was an uproar as the old white haired dwarf said this. Some shouted insults at him while the other's yelled that they were strong, were warriors, were wise. Ariella watched on in interest as the insults and profanities that she had never heard in her presence were shouted across the room (which, mind you, only made her laugh).

"You are forgetting Gandalf!" Shouted one of the younger dwarfs who was standing on his chair; pointing towards Gandalf. The dwarf was on the tall side with brown hair that just reached his shoulders, and who did not have much of a beard. "He must have killed hundreds of dragons in his day! Haven't you, Gandalf?"

"How many dragons would you say you've slain?" The older dwarf with the greying hair from before spoke again. The whole company turned expectantly towards the old wizard who wasn't making eye contact with any of them, and was sipping from his small glass. "Well, how many is it?" The dwarf demanded.

Suddenly the company broke out in chaos once again, talking and shouting over the top of one another, all the while banging their fists on Bilbo's lovely oak table, scraping the cutlery and goblets against it, causing marks to appear.

"Enough!" Ariella shouted as she rose to her feet and glared at every single one of the dwarfs. "You're all acting like children throwing a hissing-fit. Are you not men?" She scolded them in her low soft voice as a mother would her children. "Shame on you." She sat back down in her seat when the others refused to meet her glare, and looked expectantly towards Thorin who looked back at her blankly before standing himself.

"Oin has read the signs," Thorin's voice was quiet but soon grew louder as every member of his company looked up at him. "When the first thrush returns to the mountain, the reign of the beast will be over. If we have read the signs do you not think others have as well? No one has seen Smaug for over sixty years! Our fortunes may go unguarded! Do we leave it so any may stake claim to our inheritance?"

"No!" The dwarfs shouted all together, their voices echoing around the room.

"We shall take back Erebor!" Thorin boomed in his deep voice while he raised his fist in the air.

"Yes!" The dwarfs shouted, as if it were their battle cry.

"The gate!" The old dwarf with the white beard called over the others. "It has been sealed." The cheers died down as they turned towards him. "There is no way inside the mountain."

The cheering died off completely at these words.

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Gandalf chuckled and pointed one long wrinkled finger at the left hand side of the map. "You see that rune one the West side of the map, and also the hand pointing from the other runes? That marks a hidden passage to the Lower Halls," Gandalf paused to pull another object out from inside his robes. "Accessible only with this." It was a key! A long odd looking thing, but it was a key nonetheless. And he handed it to Thorin who took it with wide eyes as he turned it over in his hands.

"How did you come by this?" Thorin asked as he continued to look at it. Ariella couldn't get over how odd it looked, but didn't say so; fearing Thorin might bite her head off if she did.

"It was given to me by your father, Thrain, for safe keeping. And now I give it to you." Said Gandalf. Thorin looked over at the wizard with curiosity, obviously wanting to hear more about the tale, but thought better of it and tucked the key away in his pocket.

"What of the dragon?" Ariella spoke in her soft voice, but everyone heard her as clear as day. "What if it still resides inside the mountain?"

"Dragon?" Bilbo squeaked from behind her, making her turn to face him.

"Yes, the dragon resides within the mountain hoarding all the treasure of Erebor, or used to be, and probably still lingers within." Ariella paused. "Dragons are awfully greedy."

"What do you know of dragons?" Thorin questioned with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. He was baiting her, as if she would fall within his trap and let him question her half to death. Oh, how badly she wanted to rip into him and wipe that Cheshire cat grin off his face, but she withheld herself, she was a respectable young lady, besides she would probably end up saving his life and then his ego and pride will be crushed, and she will be happy.

In the meantime, she merely gave him a tight smile and turned away from him.

"Ariella knows a lot about dragons!" Bilbo piped in from behind said woman, obviously trying to defend her. "She's slain two!" Bilbo paused. "Or was it three . . ? I don't remember." Bilbo muttered to himself as he walked out of the room, probably in search of something to snack on.

"Two dragons?" Thorin scoffed once again at her, as if a mere woman could not handle such a task. He was so close to getting a scolding off her, he had no idea.

"Three." She raised her eyebrow in return.

Before he could say anymore, Bilbo came rushing back in with a plate full of cakes that the dwarfs all jump at and scoffed down. Ariella was worried that they may all choke, but pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

"That is why we need a burglar." A dwarf from across the table spoke up through the tension Thorin and Ariella created. He was short with wild dark red hair and a beard to match.

"Yes, and an expert at that." Bilbo said as he happily munched on a cake.

"And are you?" The old grey haired dwarf spoke up again.

"Am I a what?" Bilbo asked around a mouth full of food.

"An expert burglar?" Someone else asked.

"Me?" Bilbo started to panic. "No. No, no, no!"

"Hear that? He said he was one!" A voice called from across the room.

"No, _no_! I am no burglar! I have never stolen anything in my life!" Bilbo said as he paced about the room with his hands on his hips, looking flustered.

"Just as I thought," Thorin's deep voice spoke up. "He's better off staying here." Bilbo stopped his pacing from behind Thorin and nodded frantically at this.

"Bilbo will do fine. Hobbits are practically quiet when they want to be." Ariella said as some of the dwarfs gave her disbelieving looks, and Bilbo shooting her a look of betrayal.

"The wild is no place for gentle folk, like yourselves, who cannot defend for themselves." The dwarf who had answered the door for Ariella spoke gruffly and motioned towards Bilbo, who was happily agreeing to what he was saying, and Ariella whose eyes narrowed at him.

"You'll be singing a different tune when either one saves your life, Dwalin." Gandalf spoke softly. The company of dwarfs settled down, though most looked doubtful. Bilbo on the other hand started to look a little green and was beginning to sweat madly.

"Balin, give them their contracts." Thorin ordered, and Ariella was quickly handed one of her own that she began to read over and finally sign when she agreed with everything. She then passed it to Balin who looked at it to make sure everything was in order.

"Laceration . . . Evisceration . . . _Inceneration?_"

"Aye, he'll melt the _flesh_ off ya' bones." One of the younger dwarfs with an oddly shaped hat said as he brought his hands up to his face and pulled at his skin to make it look as if it were melting.

Bilbo placed his hands upon his knees and breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down.

"Are you alright, Bilbo?" Ariella asked softly as she walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Just . . . just a little bit faint." Bilbo murmured.

"Think of furnace with wings." Said the younger dwarf with no beard.

"Flash of light. Searing pain." Said the blond dwarf.

"Then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash." All three said in union, and smiled happily.

Ariella giggled, and turned to Bilbo with a smile, but when she saw that he didn't look too amused she wiped it off and replaced it with a look of worry.

"Nope." And with that Bilbo fell forward before Ariella could catch him, and fell flat on his face.

She nudged him with her foot, but when he didn't move she sighed and picked him up from under his arms and dragged him into the sitting room, and heaved him into his favourite chair by the fire while placing the knitted blanket she found on the lounge over his knees.

"Bilbo?" She called softly while tapping his cheek with the palm of her hand, when she finally got a groan out of him; she left him in the arm chair, and made her way to the kitchen to make Bilbo some tea.

Ariella was glad that Bilbo had already prepared the tea beforehand so when she walked into the kitchen the pot was still hot enough to drink. Pouring two cups of the hot liquid, she rushed back into the living room and handed a distressed looking Bilbo his tea, and took the seat opposite to him.

"Drink up, Bilbo. It'll make you feel better." Ariella spoke soothingly to her cousin who was still recovering from the dwarfs jokes. He complied willingly, and downed half the cup; within seconds the colour came rushing back to his cheeks.

"I'll go to tell the other's that you're up." She smiled brightly at him and patted his hand before walking off to the dining room where it was suspiciously quiet.

"The girl," Thorin's voice drifted towards Ariella's ears as she got closer towards the dining room. "She does not look like she can handle a sword."

"You'd be surprised." Gandalf chuckled as Ariella came into the doorway and leaned against the frame.

"I cannot guarantee their safety, nor am I responsible for their fate."

"Understood." Gandalf said as he blew a smoke-ring from his pipe.

Ariella cleared her throat quietly, but still managed to get the attention of the company and Gandalf. "Bilbo is awake," Her eyes met Gandalf's. He blew another smoke-ring before smiling at her and making his way out of the room. "Oh, and Mr Oakenshield, I can assure you that I can handle myself and my cousin, there is no need for your worry." And with that said she turned on her heel, leaving the surprised future king of Erebor with his company, and made her way back into the living room, and to her beloved cousin who Gandalf was trying to convince to come along with the company.

"—Your Old Took's great-grandfather was so large – for a hobbit – that he could ride a horse! He charged the ranks of the goblins of Mount Gram in the Battle of the Green Fields, and knocked their Kings head clean off so that it sailed a hundred yards through the air, and went down a rabbit hole, and thus the battle was won, and the game of golf was invented!" At the end of his tale, Ariella fell into a fit of uncontrollable giggles and collapsed into the nearest chair as she clutched her stomach, he laughter also managed to catch the curiosity of the company of dwarfs that came to see what all the fuss was about.

"Dear Lord, I have never heard something so ridiculous!" Ariella gasped out. "I believe you just made that up for Bilbo's sake." Ariella went into another fit of laughter as she saw the face Bilbo pulled while Gandalf had he's back turned, wagging a slender finger at Ariella who still sat laughing.

"I'll have you know, my dear Ella, that I was there when it happened." Gandalf smiled as the giggling girl stopped suddenly and looked up at the wizard in wonder.

But Gandalf's victory was short lived as her laughter crept up her throat and spilled out from in between her lips. "You're so _old_!"

Gandalf waved her off and left her laughing like a fool as he turned his attention back to Bilbo who was frowning at his cousin. "The point is, Bilbo, that you should partake in the journey, you'll have a tale or two to tell when you come back."

"Can you guarantee that I will come back?" Bilbo murmured as he stared down into his tea cup.

Ariella abruptly stopped her laughter and looked at her cousin, "That, I cannot." Said Gandalf.

Bilbo nodded, and then stood; placing his tea cup on the side table. "I'm sorry Gandalf, but you have the wrong hobbit."

"Bilbo, be reasonable," Ariella spoke soothingly, it always worked to calm him down to think when they argued. "Didn't you always want to go on an adventure? To see all the wondrous things I write to you about with your own eyes?"

"Thank was when we were younger, Ari. I cannot just up and leave unexpectedly! What will the neighbours think?" Bilbo fretted as he began to tidy up his home, something he always did when he wanted to end an argument, but Ariella was having none of that.

"The neighbours?" She scoffed. "Screw the bloody neighbours, Bilbo! Who are they to judge? They'd only be jealous because, let's face it, we all know that they don't have the guts to go out and do something crazy or unexpected."

"They are our friends –"

"You're friends -"

Bilbo huffed, "I know you will go with them," He paused. "But I shall remain here."

"You'll regret this decision when your old and grey, and on your death bed." Ariella muttered.

"Be that as it may," Bilbo said from between clenched teeth (something he only did when arguing with his cousin). "I am not going. I wish you well on your journey cousin, this is my finale answer." That said he turned and headed towards his room without bidding his uninvited guests goodnight.

"Fine!" Ariella shouted as she folded her arms over her chest and began to mutter to herself about stuck up hobbits.

"Fine!" Bilbo shouted back as he slammed he's door.

"He'll be late tomorrow, but he'll join us." Ariella sighed as she unfolded herself from her chair and walked over to where Bilbo was sitting and began to fold the blanket she had laid over him.

"How do you know?" The blond dwarf spoke up from the silence.

"He's my cousin . . ." She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Make yourself at home. There are three spare bedrooms left and blankets in the hallway closet. Goodnight." And with that she walked out of the room and into one of the four guest bedrooms. As she was readying herself for bed she could hear the low rumble of deep singing voices coming from the living room.

"_Far over the misty mountains cold_

_Two dungeons deep and caverns old_

_We must away ere break of day,_

_To seek the pale enchanted gold."_

Ariella quickly fell asleep to the dwarf's deep soothing voices, making her sleep a dreamless and peaceful.

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_A penny for your thoughts?_

_-13teen xx_


	3. Chapter Three: Whisper

**_I finally updated! Woo! *high fives*_**

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**Chapter Three**

_"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."  
- Mae West._

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**Chapter Quote: "How was I supposed to know it was you? You sounded like a possessed babe!" She shouted. "Forgive me if I thought you were something dangerous!"**

_"__Please . . ."_  
The maniacal laughter of the pale Orc sounded out throughout the tiny stone cell she was locked in. Chains bound her wrists, making sure she had no way of escape. Her small dainty wrists were red and bloodied from the unforgiving metal that scraped against them constantly every time she moved. 

_She had forgotten how many times she had begged that they would just end her life, to leave her be. Was it one hundred? Perhaps a thousand? She couldn't remember, nor did she want to. She never knew whether it was day or night or what day of the week it was, or even how long she had been their prisoner. The days just blurred together, into a great big ball of nothingness. _

"_Yes, beg." The Orc spoke in his harsh language that she had learnt all too well, how she wished she could not understand them as they spoke about their kills or how she screams when they each take her. He reached out to her, wrapping his large disfigured hand around her slender ankle, dragging her frail body towards him; chains dragging across the stone floor as silent tears streamed down her porcelain face._

Ariella woke up with a start; her breaths coming in short pants, barely managing to send air to her lungs. She was drenched in sweat, the substance from her body made her normally wild curls droop and cling to her sticky flesh. She shivered as her nightmare was still fresh within her mind, rewinding and replaying, over and over again. She had to distract herself, anything to get the horrid memory out of her head, and keep her from going mad.

She threw the curves off of her voluptuous petite body, sighing as the cool crisp morning hit her heated body, cooling her down. She glanced out her window; it was probably two hours before dawn. With that thought she made her way out of her room and down the hallway, passing the hoard of snoozing dwarfs, and pushed the door at the end of the twisting hallway open. Once inside she began the clean herself, scrubbing the sweat from her body, and quickly washed it from her hair.

Once she had finished her cleaning routine, she made her way back to her room dressing quickly into the elven made leather trousers that clung to her body like a second skin. A leather bodice was all she wore on the top part of her body, which showed off her small waist and feminine curves, but was still loose enough to move around comfortably whether she was engaging in battle or not. She shoved her feet into the comfortable leather boots that reached her knees, and begin arming herself, placing a small dagger within her left boot, and the elven made sword Elrond had given her for her birthday many years ago strapped to her hip. Ariella then began to shove her belongings into her pack, slung it over her shoulder; glanced out her window and smiled. It was dawn now, and she had no doubt that the dwarfs were up and about, and ready to go.

With that, she walked out of her room and towards the front door, noticing that none of the dwarfs were within Bilbo's home any longer, though she did find the company of dwarfs outside straddling up the ponies. The group of dwarfs seemed to notice her arrival, and all turned to her, looking somewhat surprised. _Well, of course they would, since a woman wasn't as strong as a man._ Ariella thought bitterly as she clenched her teeth.

"Didn't think you'd come." The younger blond dwarf said as he strode over to her and clasped her on her shoulder almost knocking the breath out of her lungs and gave her a big smile. He didn't have to tell her, she already knew they thought she was a weak little woman who would constantly make them rescue her.

"He had no faith in you." Another young dwarf came out of nowhere, draping his arm around her shoulder (which she did not like in the slightest), and smiled cheekily at the confused she-elf.

"How reassuring." She muttered under her breath, though the dwarf with the messy chin length brown hair merely deepened his smile, turning it into a grin as he heard her words.

"C'mon, pay up!" Said the young dwarf to the blond. "I'm Kili by the way." He thrust his arm out at the blond, who sighed heavily and began digging through his pack, muttering all the while.

Kili smiled as the blond threw the coin purse at his head, but Kili caught it before it could smack the grin off his face. "And this charmer is Fili." Kili said as he gestured towards the blond, who gave Ariella a smile.

"Charmed." She pushed through the two dwarfs and strode towards Gandalf who was in a deep conversation with none other than Thorin Oakenshield, or as Ariella had fondly renamed him; Mister Grumpy Pants. He was just so . . . grumpy. There was no other word for it, she just wanted to bake him some cookies, just to see if he had any other emotions. Cookies always seemed to make her happy; surely it would do the same for him.

"Why good morning, Ariella dear." Gandalf turned to her, giving her a cheery smile in which she returned just as brightly. "Has our friend, Bilbo, changed his mind?"

"I'm afraid not, though I'm sure once we get going we'll hear his girlish shouts." She smiled up at Gandalf who chuckled.

"If we are ready, I suggest we head off. We have much distance to cover." Gandalf instructed as he mounted the only full sized horse, which was a beautiful shade of white, no markings whatsoever. The dwarfs followed Gandalf's actions and began to mount the ponies they wanted. Ariella joined them, and found herself upon the sandy coloured pony that was actually very talkative and kept neighing every thirty seconds.

The only members of the company who spoke were Fili and Kili, who were currently having an argument over whether or not if Bilbo would show. Ariella smiled slightly as their argument became heated and insults were starting to be thrown about.  
"Lads! Yer' in the presence of a lady!" The old dwarf with the pure white beard hissed at them and even managed to clip Kili over the back of the head.

"Oi!" Kili shouted as he glared at the old dwarf which then began another argument. Were all dwarfs this hot headed? Did they need consoling? Were they not sleeping properly? Did they not consume enough food? Ariella suddenly began to worry about their sleeping patterns and food consumption, but quickly pushed the thoughts aside. _No, I will not worry about them! They clearly do not care for my wellbeing, why should I care about theirs?_ She mentally wagged a finger at herself. _But what will come of them if they get sick . . ? Can no sleep cause a type of sickness? Yes! _Ariella chewed on her bottom lip while she made a list of all the sicknesses you could get if one did not sleep properly.

_Night terrors_

_Bruxism_

_Somniloquy_

_Narcolepsy_

Ariella was in her own little world while Kili continued to argue with the white bearded dwarf as Fili placed bets on whether or not Bilbo would show. Ariella pushed her thoughts aside once more and even joined in, stating she knew for a fact that Bilbo would show though most of the company gave her disbelieving looks or laughed at her. That was until Gandalf scolded them like a group of misbehaving little boys and also placed a bet agreeing with Ariella that Bilbo would accompany the growing group of travellers.

A few minutes had passed when Ariella heard the muffled shouting. She stopped her pony and looked about, frowning as she did so.

"What's wrong?" Kili had stopped upon noticing that she wasn't with the group anymore, in fact none of them aside from Kili had noticed she wasn't with them anymore; her frown deepened.

"You didn't hear that?"

"Hear what?" He found this amusing which only made Ariella glare at him. The rest of the company had noticed their disappearance and slowly made their way back to the two who were still on their ponies standing within the large circular clearing.

". . . _waaaaa_ . . ."

"There it is again . . ." Ariella trailed off and jumped off her pony, quickly beginning to check their surroundings with her elven eyesight.

"I don't hear anything." Kili smiled as the others came up behind him, watching as she looked around carefully.

"Of course not." She snapped. Straining her ears to hear the noise once more, but it was silent.

"What's going on?" demanded Thorin. He had made his way to the front of the group and watched the girl make a fool of herself.

"Ariella believes she hears something." Kili informed them while continuing to watch the girl.

" . . . _waaaaaaa_ . . ."

Ariella's head snapped up in the direction of the sound.

"We do not have time –"

"Quiet!" Ariella hissed at Thorin as she retrieved the dagger she kept hidden in her boot.

" . . . _waaaa!"_

"What was th –?"

Before Kili could finish his thought Ariella had already thrown the dagger embedding it into a tree. And right next to said tree was none other than Bilbo Baggins who, luckily enough, missed the dagger by an inch. He stared at it wide eyed knowing that if he were a second earlier he would not be breathing.

"Bilbo!" Ariella gasped with a look of horror on her pretty face. "Look at what you made me do to the poor tree!"

"The tree?" Bilbo screeched. "Do you know what you could've done to my eye?"

"Oh, don't be dramatic!" She said as she walked up to the tree and tried yanking the dagger out.

"Dramatic!" Bilbo turned red as he glared at his cousin who now had her booted foot on the trunk of the tree, pulling with all her might.

She managed to pull the dagger out, but not without stumbling a little, "Well it's your fault! You just can't go about startling people!" She placed her dagger back in her boot.

"Startling? Did you not hear me shouting?" Bilbo exclaimed.

"How was I supposed to know it was you? You sounded like a possessed babe!" She shouted. "Forgive me if I thought you were something dangerous!"

"A possessed babe?" Bilbo cried out in frustration.

She turned away from him, giving her full attention to the tree that she had cut with her dagger. Placing her small pale hand over the trees wound as she whispered a little incantation to it in the elven tongue and watched as a white mystical glow appeared from her fingertips. Taking her hand away, she inspected the tree and nodded her approval.

"The tree? You heal the tree, and not your own cousin?" Bilbo asked in disbelief.

"You do not need healing." She snapped at him.

"I bloody well do, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

She turned to the red face hobbit and gave him a glare that even Thorin Oakenshield would fear; then out of nowhere Ariella slammed the heel of her foot down on the hobbits poor foot, making Bilbo cry out in pain.

She marched towards her sandy pony that she has now given it the appropriate of Sandie and climbed upon its back, and walked Sandie forward past the now laughing company of dwarfs and a chuckling Gandalf.

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_Hello all! I hope you liked this chapter!  
Oh, and I now have a Blog where you can see when I'm going to update, sneak peeks into chapters and whatnot (check it out on my profile!)_

_- 13teen xx_


	4. Chapter Four: All I Have

_**I'm back! Told you I wouldn't leave!  
Okay, so about this chapter, it's a filler, had to get it done and out of the way. From this chapter onward I'll be working on and building up the relationship between none other then Thorin and Ariella. I'm excited, so many ideas running around in my head! *dances***_

_**I'd like to thank everybody who has favourited, followed, reviewed! Your amazing!  
Haha, I actually got a review the other day from **giggle-like-crazy **basically telling me to get my arse into gear. Thank you for that, lovely!  
I'm so happy, I now have;  
Favs: 45  
Follows: 98  
Reviews: 34  
**__**By the way, if anyone is wondering what Ariella looks like there are pictures up on my profile!**_

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_**Chapter Four**_

_"It gives me strength to have somebody to fight for; I can never fight for myself, but, for others, I can kill."  
- Emilie Autumn: The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls._

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**Chapter Quote: "Bilbo . . ." She laughed softly. "I'm always on your side."**

"I signed it . . ." Bilbo trailed off while handing the parchment over to the white bearded dwarf, the look of annoyance was still on his red face.

The dwarf searched through his pockets before pulling out a pair of glasses and placing them over the bridge of his nose. He scanned the contract quickly and nodded to himself. "Everything seems to be in order." He paused and gave Bilbo a once over. "Welcome Master Baggins to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

"Give him a pony!" Thorin said somewhat irritated from the front of the group as he glared ahead at the she-elf who happened to be a few metres ahead of the company. He kicked the sides of his pony to urge it forward, leading the company in the right direction, but he refused to take his eyes off the girl. Just in case she happened to try something funny; like she had with the tree.

"Oh, no, no! That won't be necessary, thank you!" Bilbo argued. "I've done my fair share of walking holidays; I even got as far as Frogmorten once!" Ariella overheard the conversation and couldn't help the little smirk the crept up on her lips. Bilbo was a hobbit, hobbits like the earth. They liked to have something soiled beneath their feet, something that won't kill them if they were to fall or trip. A pony would certainly make Bilbo queasy.

He was completely ignored as both Kili and Fili lifted poor Bilbo up and onto a dusty brown coloured pony, making Bilbo squeak as he landed in the saddle. Ariella laughed and turned her pony, Sandie, back towards the group; pacing a glaring Thorin and trotting right beside her cousin and giving him a small smile as he looked utterly uncomfortable upon the pony whom continually threw back its head, seeming to know of Bilbo's discomfort.

"I'm sorry!" Bilbo rushed out as he looked over at his cousin with the look of guilt in his eyes.

"Whatever for?" She blinked at him with her wide blue eyes. She of course knew why he was apologising, she just wanted drag it out and make Bilbo as uncomfortable as possible, and she also wanted to hear him say it.

"For . . . shouting at you." Bilbo knew what she was doing; she had always done it, since they were little. He also knew that he would never hear an apology from her about the matter. Ariella never apologised, no matter what she did. Bilbo remembered when they were children he had asked her why she never said the five letter word; what she said in return? "Why should I apologise for what I believed was the right thing to do?" And it was left at that, Ariella always did what she thought was right, not that she always thought she was right, but when she was wrong she would smile a small smile, a smile which would show you that she knew she was in the wrong.

And Bilbo knew that at this point in time, she wasn't wrong.

The moment the two cousins were sharing was instantly destroyed as Fili shouted her name, making her head snap up in his direction. Ariella then proceeded to catch a small bag of coins in her palm. A few seconds' later bags of coins were flying in every direction past and/or over their heads.

"What's that about?" Bilbo gestured to the bag of coins in the palm of Ariella's hand with a curious expression on his face as Gandalf rode up to the other side of Bilbo; a chuckle escaping from his lips.

"Oh they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up." Gandalf stated with a chuckle as he watched the dwarfs bickering about losing their money. "Many of them bet that you wouldn't."

Bilbo turned to his cousin almost distraught, "And you? What did you think?"

"Bilbo . . ." She laughed softly. "I'm always on your side." She said this as she dangled her bag of coins in front of his face before placing to bag in her pack as Gandalf caught his own little bag of coins.

"I never doubted you for a second, my dear boy." The wizard said, answering Bilbo's unspoken question with a wink and a bright smile.

The company continued on through the rolling hills of green, passing too big trees, they're arms almost reaching out as if to caress them. Narrow streams that dragged out along them, stretching thinner and thinner until it vanished. Home was far behind Bilbo and Ariella now, though the she-elf was completely comfortable with this, but she knew Bilbo was fretting. Since they were little he hadn't been this far away from home before, and he was no doubt worried, but she would look after him, like she's always has.

Hours passed before Thorin ordered them to stop at the clearing on the rocky hill side. It was dark now and the only light around came from the same fire and the full moon above the company. Ariella made sure to sit as close to the fire as possible while keeping an eye on Bilbo and they're surroundings.

She knew he wasn't asleep, and it was probably the same reason why she couldn't sleep. Bombur was a little far away but his obnoxious snoring was loud enough that she would probably be able to hear it from the ground below. She watched silently as Bilbo got up and tried to 'sneak' off to his pony Myrtle to secretly give her a deep red shiny apple.

She was watching Bilbo interact with his pony so when she and the others heard the screech of the orcs, she had jumped. Ariella managed to keep the red that tried to make its way to her cheeks, and was glad to find that none of the others had noticed, well until her eyes landed on the leader of the company who had been watching her suspiciously all night. She turned away from him before she saw any smugness on his face.

Bilbo stumbled back over to the group, eyebrows knitted together while wiping the hand Myrtle had eaten off of on his pants.

"What was that?" He questioned as he pointed behind him.

"Orcs," said Kili as another chilling screech filled the air. Ariella managed to keep herself from jumping again by pulling out her hair and running her fingers through her wild blonde curls while watching Thorin straighten up out of the corner of her eye.

"Orcs?" Bilbo whispered loudly as he _tried_ to tip-toe back over to the dwarfs and his cousin.

"Throat cutters," Fili stated calmly as he smoked from a pipe. "They'll be dozens of them out there. The low lands are crawling with them,"

"They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep." Kili continued for his brother. Ariella knew what they were doing; they were scaring Bilbo, trying to get him worked up because of their joke. But this wasn't a joke, saying those things weren't funny, and she found herself growing more and more irritated. Had they faced orcs all alone by themselves? Probably not. And they most likely never will.

"Quick and quiet, no screams." Kili went on and then whispered, "Just blood." Bilbo looked away from them and up towards the sky, clearly terrified. Then the boy's snickers filled the open space.

"You think that's funny?" Ariella asked quietly from her spot on the other side of the fire opposite them. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" Memories filled her head in an instant, but as quickly as they came, they left.

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili answered her question just as quietly. Brown eyes downcast, he felt like he was being scolded by his mother.

"No, you didn't." Thorin spoke harshly as he stood, "You know nothing of the world." With that he stalked over to the edge of the cliff.

"Don't mind him laddie," Said the white bearded dwarf from beside Ariella whom she still didn't know the name of. "Thorin has more cause then most . . . to hate orcs." He paused and took a deep breath. "After the dragon took The Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the dwarf kingdom. But our enemy had got there first. It had been taken by regents of orcs, led by the vilest of their entire race . . . Azog the Defiler. The giant pale orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin.

"He began by beheading the King. Thrain, Thorin's father was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed. We did not know. We were leaderless. Defeated and dead." A proud smile pulled at the old dwarf's lips before he spoke again. "That was when I saw him; a young dwarf prince facing down the pale orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, welding nothing but a broken branch as a shield . . . Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken.

"Our forces rallied, and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, nor songs that night for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived and I thought to myself then there is one who I could follow, there is one I could call King."

"But the pale orc?" Bilbo inquired. "What happened to him?"

"He slugged back into the hole from where he came, that filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin's voice dripped with hatred as made his way over to the other side of the camp, looking out into the distance, eyes searching for anything that might be lurking in the shadows around them.

Ariella glanced over to Gandalf; he knew exactly what was running through her head. Fear was written clearly in her eyes, but they were also questioning, asking if she should tell him. He shook his head, no, now wasn't the time.

She sighed deeply and rested her head of the rough surface behind her, closing her eyes while trying to keep her mind from racing. Well, at least she and Thorin now had something in common; they both hated the pale orc. He took something from both of them that they can't get back.

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_Reviews aren't necessary, but I do love hearing your thoughts!_

_- 13teen xx_


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